Mailing device.



W. L. WILLIAMS & J. L. 0L1.\SI} }AD.` MAILING DEVICE. APPLICATION. FILED 00T: 22, 1909.

1,025,039. Patented Apr. 30,1912.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM LAURENCE WILLIAMS AND JOHN LEWIS OLIVISTEAD, OF WEST BROWNS- VILLE, PENNSYLVANIA; SAID WILLIAMS ASSIG-NOR TO ERNEST CARLSON, OF

IVIONONGAI-IELA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MAILING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 30, 1912.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that we, WILLIAM LAURENCE IVILLIAMS and JOHN Lnwis OLMSTEAD, citi- Zens of the United States, residing at West Brownsville, in the county of Washington and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mailing Devices, of which the following is a specification such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in combined mailing sheets and envelops and the leading object in view is to provide a device of this kind having improved means for sealing the same against unlawful inspection, whereby any eEort to inspect the contents of the envelop or the mailing sheet can be readily detected.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combined envelop and mailing sheet having side flaps adapted for interlocking engagement and a metallic seal adapted to hold said side flaps in interlocking engagement.

With the above and other objects Vin view the invention consists in certain combinations, constructions, and arrangements of parts, clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings and clearly described in the following specication.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the combined mailing sheet and envelop before being assembled into mailing form. Fig. 2 shows the body of a mailing sheet folded upon the back wall of the envelop with the side flaps and sealing flap of the envelop extended. Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the side flaps of the envelop arranged in sealing position with the front wall and sealing flap of the envelop thrown open. Fig. 4 is a pla"n view of the back of the envelop showing the sealing flap in sealed position thereon. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the face of the envelop. Fig. 6 is a plan view of a guard strip or sheet of tissue paper. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the metallic seal for holding the side flaps of the envelop in interlocking engagement.

Referring to the accompanying drawings 1 denotes the back wall of the envelop which has hinged at 1a thereto the face wall 2 and the sealing flap 3. A foldable strip made up of the sheet portions 4, 5, and 6 is hinged at 1b to the back wall 1. The inner faces of the face wall 2, the back wall 1, and the portions 4, 5, and 6 are adapted to serve as a mailing sheet and to contain any suitable message or writing that may be placed thereon for convenient reading. The portion 5 is connected to the portion 4 to fold on the line 4a and the portion 6 is connected to the portion 5 to fold on the perforated portion or weakening line 5a. The sealing flap 3 is provided with a series of transverse perforations 3a and the face wall 2 is also provided with a like series of transverse perforations 2a and said sealing flap is adapted to fold on the back wall on a line 2b medially of the two rows of perforations. The sealing flap is provided on its inner face edges with suitable adhesive material 3b whereby it may be sealed to the back wall as indicated in Fig. 4.

From one side of the back wall 1 a side iiap 7 extends and is adapted to fold on said back wall on the line 7EL and on the other side of said back wall a second side flap 8 extends and is adapted to fold on the line 8a. The side flap 7 is provided with an end tongue 9 having transverse slots 9a which are adapt-ed to register with the slots 7b formed in the outer end portion of the side iiap 7. The end flap 8 is provided with slots 8a and a slot 8b considerably longer than the slots 8a and located near the outer end edge portion thereof.

On the outer face of the portion 4 the tissue strip, shown in Fig. 6, is secured, said strip comprising a central portion 10 and a border portion 10a said strip being provided with a series of perforations 10b arranged in parallel relation to the edges thereof and so arranged that the central portion of the strip is rendered easily breakable. A metallic seal 11 shown in Fig. 7 is provided which consists of a body ot' thin and easily breakable steel having corner prongs or tongues 11a, and a cut-away central portion formed so as to leave transversely extending tongues 11b and 11b. The metallic or steel seal 11 is secured by the corner tongues to the portion 4, as indicated in Fig. 1, and as shown in Fig. 2.

After the mailing sheet has been used it is folded upon itself and upon the back wall 1 as shown in Fig. 2, and the end tongue 9 is passed through the long slot 8b in the end flap 8 and folded against the end flap T and said tongue 9 is provided with suitable adhesive material 9b whereby it can be sealed to the tissue paper'strip l0. After the tongue 9 has been folded under the end flap 7 so that the slots 9a in said tongue and in the flaps 7 and 8 are brought into registering positions, the tongues 11b are passed through said slots and bent against the outer face of the end flap as shoivn in Fig. 3 in plan. After this has been done the face Wall may be brought in protecting position againstl the end iiaps so as to cover the tongues of the seal and the sealing flap is secured against the'bacl Wall 1.

By the arrangement of the metallic seal and the interlocking end flaps of the envelop a closure is provided which Will effectively seal the contents of the mailing sheet and envelop against unlawful interference. Should any effort be made Atoremove the tongues of the metallic seal by unbending them from their sealing positions the central portion 10 of the strip of tissue paper will break and .indicate that an attempt to tamper With the contents of the mailing sheet and envelop has been made. Should steam be applied to loosen the adhesive material securing the sealing flap to the back Wall of the end flap tongue in place `the fibers of the tissue strip will be disrupted, thereby indicating the fact that an effort Was made to tamper with the envelop.

1We claim,

l. Ina1nailingdevice,a body having aface Wall and back Wall and side flaps hinged to the bach Wall and a foldable portion hinged to the back Wall and adapted to lie against said back Wall, one of said side flaps being formed With a transversely disposed slot located near the outer end thereof and the other side Iiap being formed With an end tongue adapted to enter the slot of the first side flap, a sealing flap extending from the face Wall and adapted to be sealed to the back Wall, and a metallic strip secured to the foldable portion and provided With bendable tongues adapted to be interlocled with the end flaps and hold the tongue of one of said flaps in the slot of the other flap.

Q. In a mailing device, a body formed with a face Wall and back Wall and side flaps and a foldable portion hinged to said back Wall, each of said side iaps being provided with slots near their outer ends, one of said side flaps being provided with an end tongue having slots therein, said end tongue being insertible in the end portion of the other side iiap, a tissue strip secured to the foldable portion and provided With a perforated portion forming an easily detachable central section, a metallic seal secured over said tissue strip to the foldable portion and provided With bendable tongues adapted to enter a part of the slots in the end flaps and to hold said flaps in interlocking engagement, the tongue of one of the end flaps being provided with a piece of material adapted to be sealed to the central section of the tissue strip, and a sealing iiap connected with the face Wall and adapted to be sealed to the back wall.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as our invention, We have signed our names in the presence of the subscribing Witnesses, this sixteenth day of October, 1909.

WILLIAM LAURENCE WILLIAMS. JOHN LEWIS OLMSTEAD. Vitnesses J. K. LUNDY, I-I; M. BRENTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

